


Not Even Mostly...

by orphan_account



Category: Young Avengers (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Billy Kaplan is a sassy boy, Crushes, First Kiss, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Frotting, Getting Together, Hormones, M/M, Mostly Mini Angst Though, My Take on how Billy and Teddy get together, Origins, Teddy is lovely; as always, Teenagers, Tied together with a little humor...I hope...
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-29
Updated: 2016-11-29
Packaged: 2018-09-03 02:45:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,530
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8693326
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It would be untrue to say Billy Kaplan falls in love with Teddy Altman the first time he sees him: hands in his pockets, battered school bag slung over one shoulder, blond hair tossled stylishly over his forehead, half a dozen cuffs and rings gleaming from each ear.It would be entirely accurate to say Billy finds Theodore Altman immediately, magnetically attractive...





	

**Author's Note:**

> Wow, it's been forever since I last posted. I blame this on being hijacked by the Suits and Young Avengers fandoms and then losing all good sense and agreeing to write for this years Owlpost winterfest.  
> So really it's all my fault. I'm just really bad at time management. ^^'  
> Anyway, here's my obligatory "how Teddy and Billy got together/origin" fic. Seriously, it's like the coffeshop fic for every other fandom. ; )  
> Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel or any of their characters. This is purely from my twisted mind.  
> This is un-betaed because apparently those are a rare and precious resource.  
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy it!

The first few weeks of being a superhero are absolutely nothing like Billy imagines.

It feels, at least at first, like he's joined one of those grade school 'treehouse' clubs with secret knocks and passwords and handshakes. The ones where everyone thought they were the shit because they'd been asked to sit in the club house, but everyone just mostly just sat around wondering what the Hell they were actually doing until they got called in for dinner. 

That's not to say the 'Young Avengers' don't do things. They do. It's just not the righteous, ass-whopping, wave of judgement Billy may or may not have imagined when he thought of Superheros.

There are code-names to think up, of course, and costumes to put together (This really is a lot harder than it looks in the movies). Billy's also introduced to endurance training; which basically involves a fuck-ton of running and lifting weights and just general torment and agony (You know...normal superhero stuff).

Billy thinks there’s a reason they skip this part of superhero life in the comics.

 

Billy and Nathaniel have talked about the different members of what will eventually become their fearsome foursome. Billy’s heard the name Theodore Altman, like he’s heard the name Eli Bradley, or Dr. Strange. They’re all abstract, a list of powers and attributes without faces or personalities.

He's definitely excited to meet them (Theodore and Eli that is; Billy doesn't know what he'd do if Dr. Strange just one day appeared in the old Avenger's mansion and demanded to see him.). Mostly he's excited because they've never met him before. He can practically hear his mother's voice in his head, saying that this is his chance to start over, make a good impression with a few kids who are as...mostly normal as he is.

He may have imagined, between batches of pull-ups, how he'll act, what he'll say, do, to impress these guys.

Reality...has a really annoying way of bitch-slapping Billy Kaplan's fantasies in the face.

Nathaniel goes to recruit Teddy on his own. He says it’ll be less complicated that way; that: “Teddy’s going through a lot right now.” And it would be better if Nate went alone.

Billy’s stopped asking how Nathaniel knows these things. Nate doesn’t answer him anyway; just kind of waves a hand and mutters something about ‘time travel’ and ‘intersecting geodesics’.

Billy cannot wait until he gets to use time travel as an excuse to be deliberately vague when someone asks him a question.

He’s a superhero now; it’s bound to happen soon or later, right?

So he's stuck all alone in the fenced off area of the Avenger's graveyard (he's been told they're going to get a better base of operations soon.) running through the work-out Nate gave him, trying to squash the butterflies bouncing off his ribcage. 

He’s just finishing a rather Hellish round of leg presses when Teddy and Nate arrive at the mansion. Billy hears the gate clang shut before he hears Nate calling and comes out of their little training area, wiping at his sweaty face with the back of a hand and spots the two of them picking their way around the memorials and headstones towards him.

It would be untrue to say Billy Kaplan falls in love with Teddy Altman the first time he sees him: hands in his pockets, battered school bag slung over one shoulder, blond hair tossled stylishly over his forehead, half a dozen cuffs and rings gleaming from each ear.

It would be entirely accurate to say Billy finds Theodore Altman immediately, magnetically attractive. And if Billy’s mind goes old-school ‘end of broadcast’ black and white static for several seconds after he and Teddy make eye contact for the first time, well…that's his secret.

It’s the sudden heat that takes him by surprise more than anything; the desire to run his tongue along each and every one of Teddy’s earrings that's startlingly aggressive and terrifyingly arousing all at once. 

Billy swallows a sudden mouthful of saliva and hopes the thought of his tongue and Theodore's earrings isn’t plastered all over his face. And then shit, he's trying to remember the list of names and powers Nate had shown him and if Telepathy had been listed anywhere under the name Teddy Altman.

Because, seriously, Billy is sixteen, not thirteen and if he can’t be at least reasonably rational about his mostly unreasonable hormones, he can at least try not to make a complete ass of himself in public. Or at least try not to scare off this unfairly hot guy whom he literally hasn't met yet.

So he takes a few deep breaths while Nate and the guy Billy guesses is Theodore make their way over in a desperate attempt to cool his metaphorical jets.

Unfortunately, he’s nowhere near talked down by the time Nate and Theodore reach him. He can still feel his pulse pounding at his throat. But he can't just wave and go back to his workout (and he never thought he'd be eager to get back to that). He's got to step up and offer a hand to shake, pretend like he isn't half-hard in his pants right now. 

He takes a step closer, furiously running through this years Yankees batting line-up and smells sandalwood, old leather, musk, skin warmed and takes an involuntary deep breath. Billy’s pretty sure whoever Teddy Altman is, he’s stepped out of every wet dream Billy’s ever had in his life.

“Holy shit, you’re...” He can feel heat rising up the back of his neck when he wraps his hand around a large dry palm and looks up into flawless blue eyes that crinkle slightly at the corners when Theodore smiles, a little, self-conscious thing.

Obviously both Theodore and Nate misunderstand what Billy’s saying; think he’s being a fan boy, because they all three speak at the same time. And only Theodore and Nate are on the same track.

“This is Theodore Altman.”

“Call me Teddy.”

“…really hot.” Billy breathes.

Teddy and Nate’s eyes go very wide.

 

There’s really no point being coy about his sexual orientation after that.

Not that Billy’s used to hiding exactly. He does his best not to be a raging stereotype at school. But he’s not exactly ashamed of himself.

He’s just never shouted it from the rooftops, or even just casually owned it in conversation and maybe he is a little ashamed of himself for that. But he also thinks even taking those small steps takes a bravery he doesn’t have. Not yet.

It’s actually comforting, in a way, to know the proverbial shoe has dropped and nothing's changed. The guys aren't treat him any differently.

Nate doesn’t bat an eye at the revelation, which makes sense, him being from the 31st century and all. He also never brings it up again, like he doesn't really care one way or the other that Billy likes boys. It's a sort of 'Don't-Ask-Don't-Tell' policy Billy understands and maybe even appreciates a little.

It’s better than having lit matches thrown at you in the locker room.

Teddy though...Teddy just watches him. 

It’s not a predatory stare, not that sixteen year old Teddy even knows how to do one of those. Future Teddy definitely does and it gets Billy hotter than the Keyes in August, but that’s another topic altogether. 

It feels like Teddy’s taking stock of Billy, trying to figure him out. And then there are those moments when Billy will catch Teddy looking, and it almost feels like the other boy is checking him out. And sometimes Billy will pretend he doesn't notice and other times he'll catch Teddy's eye and they'll share a look, one full of words and feelings and thoughts Billy can't even begin to decipher. But they fill his belly with heat and butterflies. 

Billy’s certain the spark he feels is real, that thrill whenever Teddy flashes that self-consciously iridescent smile. He thinks sometimes that Teddy might feel it too, thinks that maybe Teddy’s just as terrified as Billy is to say anything.

Sometimes when he’s alone in his room, staring up at the ceiling, listening to the distant hum of traffic outside his window; Billy almost convinces himself he should talk to Teddy, that it would be a good idea to just have it out in the open.

He tries to imagine the how conversation will go.

Sometimes he imagines Teddy frowning and telling him that he’s a disgusting little faggot and Teddy never wants to talk to him ever again.

Sometimes Teddy smiles, that smile that crinkles the corners of his eyes and tells Billy he wants to be boyfriends. And that word shouldn’t send tingles up Billy’s spine, but it does and Billy has to stop himself when he realizes he’s grinning into his pillow when he ponders that particular fantasy.

Sometimes in his imagination, he and Teddy don’t say anything at all, just peel away the layers of clothing until there’s just skin and moans and Teddy’s blue eyes and Billy’s tongue looping through the rings in his ears.

That one becomes a particular favorite. 

He keeps it close; nestled next to his heart, in the secret place he hides all his other fantasies. So when Teddy compliments him on his spell work, or reaches over to pat him on the back…or playfully tug on his bangs where they’ve gotten tangled and matted with sweat after a long Saturday's worth of training…Billy can go home alone and pretend it’s more than Teddy being friendly.

It’s just safer that way.

 

Eli is the next hero Nathaniel brings on board. 

He’s equally parts impressive and aggravatingly angsty and Billy’s never met anyone who could carries his emotional baggage like a shield, not an anchor (and isn’t that apropos). But Eli as it turns out, is just a special snowflake that way.

And Billy knows all about special snowflakes.

He also knows a little bit about angst.

Not personally...

Well, not very personally…

Okay, so very personally and maybe even intimately…but it’s only a hate affair and they’ve agreed not to see each other except on holidays, long weekends, and after traumatic, emotionally scaring events.

But enough about Billy’s on again, off again, love affairs with bouts of teenaged anguish.

The special snowflake…okay, the other special snowflake…

Really, the most aggravating thing about Eli is that he’s constantly trying to upstage Nathaniel. 

It’s almost immediately clear he wants to be the leader, even though the position’s already been decisively taken by Iron Lad. 

Eli and Nate butt heads pretty much constantly and maybe that too is part of Eli’s odd charm. Billy isn’t 100% sure he’s convinced it’s charming and not annoying, but whenever he asks Teddy about it, the blond man just shrugs his shoulders and says he thinks the two of them actually secretly respect each another. He tells Billy he shouldn’t worry about it.

So Billy mostly lets them alone to bicker about the codenames: ‘Lt. America’ vs. ‘Cousin Sam’ and the merits of spangled costumes.

He isn’t as sure about the respect this as Teddy is.

 

Billy is just about ready to talk himself down from his ridiculous crush when Teddy finally works up the courage to make a move.

“Hey Kaplan.” Teddy calls one night from his place at the chin-up bar. He’s not using it for its intended purpose, since he’s already finished his chin-ups for the day.

He’s currently hanging upside-down, finishing his last set of sit-ups while Billy pretends to meditate on the other side of their little practice space. And Billy’s been trying, honest-to-God. But Teddy’s got his shirt off and really it would be a crime not to pay at least surreptitious homage to that boy’s lean musculature between half-hearted spells.

Billy is willing to concede that this might be why his spell-casting isn’t what it could be.

“What’s up?” He closes his eyes and prays his wandering eyes haven’t been noticed. The spoon in front of him glows for a second and he wills it as hard as he can to turn into a fork.

He hears Teddy dismount from the bar, feet slapping the ground and the spell sputters. 

Billy looks up and the expression on Teddy’s face surprises him. Teddy looks intense and serious; nothing like the openness, the pleasantness Teddy usually emotes. 

Billy tries his best to act casual as Teddy stalks over to him, pulling on a shirt and settling down onto his haunches next to Billy. 

The blue aura around the spoon gutters completely.

When Teddy asks Billy if he wants to get out of there and grab something to eat, Billy blinks stupidly for a moment. And then he tries his best to smash down the sudden burst of butterflies in his stomach and the grin that slaps itself onto his face. It doesn’t work even a little.

“Sure.”

 

 

“You’ve read the whole series?” Billy asks, dipping a fry liberally with ketchup before stuffing it into his mouth.

Teddy’s on the other side of the table, leaning back, his arm casually draped across the back of the booth, drinking the last of his milkshake.

He flashes his sweet pearly whites.

“Surprised Kaplan?” He teases lightly, easily. Billy’s heart skips a beat.

It’s the third time they’ve left the mansion together after training. They don’t have time to do more than grab a bite to eat before heading to their separate bus stops since they’ve both got a curfew and Billy doesn’t want to think about what will happen to him if he breaks it.

Having a psychologist for a mother just means the punishments she dreams up are less physically damaging and more psychologically detrimental.

“Maybe a little.” Billy admits, checking the time on his phone and stuffing the last of his fries into his mouth. He talks around the mouthful and wonders when he got comfortable enough around Teddy to talk with his mouth full. “They aren’t exactly light reading.”

“And you think I’m incapable of picking my way through anything longer than a sports magazine?” Teddy’s tone is light, but the flint in his eyes says he’s testing Billy, waiting to see what Billy thinks of him.

“I didn’t say that.” Billy replies quickly, relieved when the defensiveness in Teddy’s eyes eases. “Really I’m surprised there’s a teenager besides me who’s made it through the whole thing. Most are out partying or doing homework or…”

“Training to defeat a Time-Travelling Warlord?” Teddy supplies, lipping at the straw in his shake. Billy tries not to stare, he really does. For about four whole seconds before Teddy’s tongue pokes out and Billy catches a glimpse of a tongue piercing which Teddy rolls around the top of the straw and Billy figures it was a lost cause anyway.

“So, who’s your favorite character?” Teddy asks from somewhere outside the pleasant little bubble of awareness that’s Billy mind, Teddy’s tongue and the gunmetal grey of his piercing.

“Hm?” Billy flicks his eyes up and Teddy’s smile is knowing.

“In the books...” Teddy clarifies. “Who’s your favorite?”

Billy glances at his phone again. He’s still got a little time.

“Tyrion Lannister.” He says. “What about you?”

 

 

“And did you see when I atomized his ass?!” Billy is practically vibrating from their last mock battle with Iron Lad’s holographic baddies, high on adrenaline and the fact that his powers (at least not the lightening and flight) hadn’t crapped out on him.

“Yeah.” Teddy says with a wan smile. His eyes flicker to Billy’s face and then skitter away again. “I’m going to grab my shit. Back in a minute.”

He’s walking away before Billy can say anything and Billy stares after him, wondering what he’s done wrong.

“What’s eating his ass?” Eli’s already in his street clothes and stops next to Billy to peer after ‘Hulkling’.

“Fuck if I know.” Billy replies off-handedly, pulling off his cape and winged forehead protector. “Maybe he’s just upset Electro zapped him again.”

Eli snorts, but is already walking away. “Well, tell your boyfriend I said goodnight.”

Billy turns and before he can think about it, replies defensively, automatically. “He’s not my boyfriend, Eli.” And fuck he feels like he’s in some kind of rom-com teen drama movie as soon as the words are out of his mouth, but Eli just waves and ducks through the large hole in the wall they use as an entrance.

Billy turns again and Teddy’s standing a few feet away in his street clothes. His expression is…actually, Billy isn’t sure how to read the complex twist of emotions on Teddy’s face.

Billy swallows, suddenly nervous. Did Teddy overhear?

“Sorry, I still need to…change.” He motions down to his leather-clad legs. “You can go on ahead if you want.”

Teddy shakes his head. “I’ll wait.” 

“Okay.” Billy steps around him and hurries to go get his backpack.

An hour later they’re walking from their greasy spoon to the transit station. 

Teddy’s done nothing but fidget since they left the Avenger’s mansion. His fingers hammered out some nonsensical patterns on the table all through dinner, while under the table Billy could feel his knee bouncing.

At this moment he was clutching his bag strap with both hands, fingers tapping away at his sternum, another nervous, senseless beat.

“You okay?” Billy finally asks, breaking the tense silence between them.

Teddy nods, but doesn’t look at Billy and that more than anything twists like a knife in Billy’s gut. He doesn’t like this new unease between them, but he doesn’t know how to make it go away. He doesn’t know how it got here in the first place.

So they keep walking in silence. 

It feels wrong. 

Billy hasn’t realized how much they spoke; how easy it was to talk to Teddy until he’s staring at the cracks in the pavement and wondering if Teddy feels as uncomfortable as he does right now. They’d been good as far as he knew. It’s been fun hanging out, talking, being…friends; since it’s pretty obvious Teddy isn’t interested in being more. But maybe Teddy’s realizing just what it means to be close to someone like Billy. Maybe he was just being nice this whole time, not wanting to break up the team dynamic.

Billy starts to wonder if maybe he’s gotten the wrong idea about their relationship all along.

That thought hollows him out a little. 

They pause at the terminal and Teddy looks like he’s about to say something, but Billy’s bus pulls in and Billy doesn’t think he can handle an: ‘it’s not you, it’s me’ speech, not right now.

“Goodnight Teddy.” He starts to turn away.

“Billy.” Teddy’s grabbing him by his arm, his fingers curling around Billy’s narrow bicep. Billy imagines he can feel the scorching heat of Teddy's palm through his jacket.

“I really need to go home.” Billy says. “Can’t it wait until tomorrow?”

Tomorrow is Saturday. Nate wants everyone at the mansion for an extra-intensive training. He’s promised co-operative combat training, whatever that means.

Teddy’s quiet for a long time and then he lets Billy go.

“Yeah.” He says quietly. “Tomorrow.”

Billy gets on his bus and spends a quiet ride home wondering what Teddy wanted to say…and how much it’s going to hurt when he says it tomorrow.

He’s barely in before curfew. He kisses his mother goodnight and ignores the looks his parents exchange when he tells them he was hanging out with friends.

“When do we get to meet your new friends?” His mother asks and Billy shrugs, climbing the stairs to his room.

He knows his mother isn’t going to let it go that easily. He’s going to have to introduce them to someone eventually, if only to let them know he isn’t sneaking off to do drugs. He’d thought about inviting Teddy over one of these weekends when they didn’t have training or massive piles of homework. He’d imagined an awkward dinner, his parents grilling Teddy about how they met, then sneaking off to his room after to read comics, or maybe to the living room to watch a movie, as friends, as…more than friends…

Billy collapses onto his bed and tries to shut his brain off for a few hours, otherwise he knows he’ll torture himself all night, going over every detail, wondering when he fucked this up.

He feels like he’s missed something huge with Teddy and wishes he could go back in time and redo the whole afternoon. Or at least that last part at the bus terminal.

He spends the next hour staring at his ceiling.

Something ticks against his window and Billy sits up sharply.

Another something glances off the glass with a sharp ‘tick’ and Billy realizes someone’s throwing pebbles at his window.

For a second he’s caught flat-footed, unsure if he should risk looking outside or if he should go wake up his parents.

A third rock spangs off the sill, a little harder than before. Billy steps quietly, which he thinks is stupid in hindsight, because it’s not like whomever is outside will be able to hear him, to one side of his window and slowly peers down into the street.

He sags in relief when he sees Teddy standing outside, his arm raised to throw another rock.

Billy shoves the window open and hisses.

“What the Hell are you doing here?”

Teddy pauses, his arm is still raised, ready to throw. He drops his handful of gravel and wipes the dust from his hands. He looks a little sheepish and every bit as nervous as he did at the terminal. But this time he’s looking Billy in the eye and along with the nerves there’s determination in his face.

“I have to talk to you.”

“How did you get here?” Billy asks.

“I caught the last bus here.” Teddy says like it’s normal or rational for sixteen year-old guys to wander the streets of New York City’s Upper East side after midnight.

“Are you nuts?” Billy says a little too loudly and winces. He glances back into the house and cocks an ear, but all is quiet. His parents are probably asleep.

“You’re Mom’s gotta be worried sick. Go home.” He says, pitching his voice lower than before.

Teddy shakes his head. He’s losing the tension from before and he looks up at Billy, offering up a small, enigmatic smile.

“I’m not leaving until I’ve said what I’ve got to say.”

“You’re insane.” Billy tells him. “I’m serious. You are an absolute lunatic. I told you, you can tell me tomorrow.”

Teddy holds out a hand to Billy. “I’m telling you now. Come down here.”

“I’m closing the window, Teddy. I'm not talking to crazy people anymore today.”

“Billy.”

Billy stops with his hand on the sill, ready to close the window. He glances back down at Teddy just standing on the sidewalk, his hand out to Billy, his expression a little terrified, a lot hopeful.

“I’m an idiot.” Billy mutters and hoists himself over the legs. To Teddy he whispers fiercely. “If I fall and break my neck, I’m going to be extremely upset with you.”

Teddy’s smile is electric and Billy feels the shock of it in his chest. Maybe it should worry him that he never even considers going down the stairs like a normal person, or insisting Teddy just tell him while he’s standing there in the window, or even telling Teddy to climb up to his room instead. But Billy doesn’t think, he’s staring down at Teddy’s hopeful smile and nothing short of and invasion by Thanatos could’ve kept him from levering himself out onto the sill.

He concentrates and lets the shimmering tickling trickle of magic slide over his skin, lifting him off the sill and he’s making the slow descent to street level.

He makes the mistake of looking at Teddy again when he’s almost there and his concentration flutters away. He can tell the instant gravity reasserts itself and he free falls the last few feet.

He does get the extreme satisfaction of seeing Teddy’s eyes go wide in surprised the second before Billy lands squarely in his arms. At least Teddy doesn’t drop him. Probably would’ve ruined the moment.

Despite his superhuman levels of strength, Teddy lets out an ‘oof’ and stumbles back half a step.

Billy lets out a small breathless laugh. If Teddy asks, he’ll say it was the landing. But the truth has more to do with Teddy’s arms wrapped securely around him.

“I knew that was a bad idea.”

Teddy wordlessly sets Billy’s feet onto the cold concrete before he’s reaching out and pulling Billy the rest of the way to him, enfolding him in a tight embrace. 

Billy’s face is mashed into Teddy’s shoulder, not that he’s complaining being squashed into Teddy’s hard, lean body, but he’s still pretty confused about what’s happening here. And a little breathless. And maybe the slightest bit aroused. But mostly he's just confused.

“Teddy…?” He mutters through a mouthful of Teddy’s jacket.

“I like you.” Teddy says suddenly and those three words knock out whatever air is left in Billy’s lungs. He just stands dumbly, the blood thumping in his ears while Teddy keeps talking; words rushed like he doesn’t think he’ll be able to get them out if he stops.

“I mean, I like, like you. And I’m pretty sure you like me too.”

Billy snorts.

Teddy eases back until he’s looking down into Billy’s face, so close Billy could’ve tilted his head up and touched the tips of their noses together.

Hmmm…Eskimo kisses…

“I want to be your…boyfriend William Kaplan.” Teddy almost trips on the word ‘boyfriend’ and right then Billy’s stomach is a churning roiling mess of every wonderful feeling in the world and he’s really afraid for a second that if he opens his mouth he’s going to throw up all over Teddy’s wonderful moment.

But instead of puking, the chaos in his stomach bubbles up and he’s laughing. With relief, with excitement, with all of the fucking joy he ever thought could exist in the universe. And he got it all.

“You mean you want to be my super-boyfriend.” He amends lightly through his chuckles and a slow smile spreads across Teddy’s mouth.

“Super boyfriends.” Teddy agrees, teasing and light, like he hasn’t been all night.

Billy shares his smile and it only just dawns on him that they’re in the middle of the sidewalk in the middle of the night, pressed up against each other in a way that can in no way be considered platonic and if his parents were to walk out the front door right now he’d be out in probably the second most awkward way possible.

And he doesn’t really care.

“Super boyfriends.” He repeats softly and Teddy’s expression changes again. The smile slips from his mouth if not his eyes and Teddy’s fingers are sliding through Billy’s hair, curling around to cup the back of Billy’s head.

Teddy leans in, giving Billy every opportunity to pull away which he doesn’t (he’s not stupid).

Billy wraps his arms around Teddy's neck and decides then and there that super-boyfriend kisses are the best. 

 

Billy still can’t control his powers, not totally. He’s pretty comfortable with his lightening and can more or less maintain his flight, provided he doesn’t lose concentration. His other powers, the ones that no one really knows what they are, are still mostly a mystery to him.

He’s been practicing almost eight hours a day, five days a week for almost a month and he’s still no closer to finding the trick to control them.

Eli tells him he needs to just man up and do it, like wrestling an alligator or ripping off a band-aid. Billy tells him that’s big talk coming from a guy whose super-power is essentially punching things really hard. Eli doesn’t give him advice after that.

Nate doesn’t nag him, just sort of off-handedly reminds him the whole world’s at stake. Billy walks away from most of their conversation feeling like he’s glad he hasn’t introduced his friends to his Mom and Dad; his very Jewish Mother does fine guilt tripping him on her own. She doesn’t need pointers from Nate.

Actually, it’s Teddy once again who comes to the rescue.

He drags Billy to his place for the first time ever, which shouldn't make Billy nervous, but does. 

“I’ve got an idea.”

He sits Billy down on the couch and turns on the stereo before disappearing into his mother’s room.

“My Mom would kill me if she knew I knew about these.” Teddy says when he emerges, holding a small stack of CD’s.

“And these are…?”

“Some of her self-help books.” Teddy says, breaking out the first CD and putting it in the player. He straightens and turns to Billy.

“They help her focus when she’s super stressed about work, or…you know, whatever Moms stress about. So…” He dips his head down, peers at Billy from under his bangs. “…I figured they might help you.”

Billy thinks it’s a ridiculous idea, but Teddy’s so earnest he doesn’t want to say it outloud.

“Worth a shot.” He swallows and Teddy presses play.

 

“Visualize yourself as a success.” The man on the tape with the fake British accent crones monotonously. “Visualize the path to achieving your goals, put yourself on that path and walk until you’ve made it to the place you want to be. You are great. You are brilliant. You are smart and you can do anything you set your mind to.”

“This isn’t working.” Billy sighs. He’s sitting on the floor, cross-legged, eyes closed, trying to follow the instructions along with the voice to bend a single, stinking spoon.

It hasn’t so much as quivered.

Fucking spoon.

Billy has never felt more like Mr. Anderson (Not Neo, because he doesn’t deserve to be called Neo if he can’t bend one stinking spoon) than he does right now.

Teddy pauses the playback.

“We need to stop anyway. Mom’s probably going to come home soon.”

Billy sighs again and scrubs a hand through his hair. “I’m sorry I wasted your afternoon.”

“It wasn’t a waste.” Teddy assures him as he packs the CD’s away again. Billy snorts.

“You know, maybe I’m not cut out for this superhero thing after all. If I can’t control my powers, what good am I to the team?” 

Teddy doesn’t say anything for a moment, just stares down at the CD player before he steps over to Billy. He plops down, mirroring Billy’s crossed legs and grabs Billy’s shoulders.

“Bullshit.” He says matter-of-factly. “You can control your powers And you will, we just haven’t figured it out yet.”

Billy scoffs again. “I’ve been trying, Teddy. I’ve been meditating until I can’t see straight, relaxing, pushing until my brain goes numb, repeating mantras.” He gestures vaguely with both arms. “I’ve even tried wiggling my nose. But nothing changes. If I get something to happen at all, I can’t duplicate the effect. It’s a one-shot wonder..”

Teddy, with his infuriatingly endearing look of patient understanding just smiles. His knee touches one of Billy’s and he grabs Billy’s hands to hold them, palms up.

“Bullshit." He says again. "Maybe you’re just getting ahead of yourself.”

Billy rolls his eyes and tugs at his hands. He really doesn’t want to talk about his powers anymore. But Teddy doesn’t let go. He’s not hurting Billy and Billy knows he could pull away if he seriously tried. He settles for glaring at his girlfriend.

“Close your eyes.” Teddy prompts.

“Teddy…” Billy sighs. “I’m seriously done. My brain feels like it’s leaking out of my ears.”

“Come on, try for me.”

Billy frowns, but slides his eyes closed again.

“Okay.” He says impatiently. “What now?”

“Picture the spoon.”

Billy opens one eye and looks incredulously at his boyfriend. Teddy just raises his eyebrows and smirks at him. Billy closes his eye again.

“Visualizing…the spoon.” He intones.

“Now…what do you want?”

“Seriously?”

“What do you want, Billy?”

“That’s kind of a dangerously open ended question Teddy.”

Teddy’s fingers squeeze his wrists.

“I’m just saying.” Billy purses his lips. “Spoil-sport. Okay…I want…I suppose, though I’m open to further discussion, the spoon to become a fork.”

“Say it again.”

“I want the spoon to become a fork.”

Nothing’s happening. Billy can’t even feel the tell-tale thrum of magic that usually accompanies his usual method of intense concentration.

“This isn’t working, Teddy.” Billy opens his eyes. Teddy looks thoughtful.

“You’ve made magical stuff happen before, right?”

“Yeah.”

“So what’s going on in your head when it happens? Like that time with the pop quiz, did you think about pulling the fire alarm?”

“No.” Billy shrugs. “I just kind of panicked and thought that something big needed to happen or I was going to flunk out of Honors Bio.”

Teddy’s voice goes gentle. “And when Kesler got shocked?”

Billy shakes his head. Teddy’s thumb where it’s resting against the pulse point of Billy’ wrist is suddenly very interesting. “No, that was…I just wanted him to leave me alone. I had to get him off me…I felt…”

He starts to pull his hands out of Teddy’s grasp.

“Hey.” Teddy pulls him back down, still incredibly gentle, his tone soft and disgustingly reasonable. Billy thinks there ought to be a limit to how well someone knows someone else after only a month. But Teddy might also be a bit of a special snowflake.

“So, what I’m thinking is,” Teddy says softly. “You’re going about controlling your powers the wrong way.”

“Oh yeah, Dr. Strange?” Billy quips, but it’s stilted. "You see, that's funny because he's Dr. Phil for superheroes."

Teddy nods, ignoring the jab. “The times when you’ve had big outburst, loses of control, is when you’re stressed or going through something bad; when you’re feeling something big.

“So maybe this whole disciplined approach isn’t the best way to tap into them. Maybe you’ve got to feel before you can focus.”

“That…” Billy starts and then considers. “…s not the worst theory I’ve heard.”

“Then let’s give it a shot.” Teddy’s smile is small, but encouraging. “Close your eyes.”

“Done.” Billy’s already picturing the spoon in his mind. “I can see the spoon, or…you know…imagining the spoon.”

“Try feeling…” Teddy casts about, obviously trying to figure out how to describe something he’s never felt before. “…how it’s going to feel to turn the spoon into a fork.”

“What?”

“Don’t open your eyes.” Teddy chides him. “Common, you promised to try.”

Billy groans and bows his head, pictures the spoon in his mind. Imagines how it’s going to feel…great, a relief, glorious…triumphant…

His powers surge up, hot and heavy and pulsing with potential energy. But they stop then, uncertain where to go, undirected.

“What’s going on, Billy?” Teddy asks. Billy can hear the excitement in his voice. “You’re glowing.”

“It’s just stopped.” Billy tells him. “I want it to change the spoon, but it’s not doing anything.”

“Then visualize.” Teddy prompts. “Um…visualize the spoon changing shape. Tell it what you want it to do.”

“I…want it to change the spoon into a fork.” Billy says hesitantly, feeling a little bit foolish. But this is already working better than anything he’s tried on his own.

“Say it again.”

“I want to change the spoon into a fork.”

Something is happening now. Billy can feel the draw of energy, like luminescent threads reaching out to connect him to the spoon. They’re wrapping around it, unraveling its shape, but into what? He picture’s what the fork will look like once it’s completed its transformation, sleek with three tines. This time he doesn’t need Teddy to tell him to repeat his mantra.

“I want to change the spoon into a fork. I want to change the spoon into a fork. I want to change the spoon into a fork.”

Once the newly formed utensil is resting between them, Billy opens his eyes.

Teddy’s beaming at him.

Billy looks down at the fork.

“Holy shit.” He says. He feels really tired, like ten-mile marathon tired, like a whole hours’ worth of Nate’s special training tired. He leans back against Teddy’s couch, resting his head on the seat and catching his breath.

“You did it.” Teddy lets go of his hands. “All you have to do is visualize and feel what you want then repeat over and over again what you want to happen.”

Billy, tired, and maybe a bit too pleased with himself, picks up his head and stares at Teddy intently.

The blond frowns.

“What?”

“Quiet.” Billy commands with manic intensity. “I’m visualizing what I want. Feeling what I want…” He holds up his hands and wiggles his fingers, a smile spreading across his lips.

“I want Teddy to kiss me. I want Teddy to kiss me. I wan-”

Teddy gets his teeth on the first lunge. They break apart, laughing into each other’s mouths and then Teddy has his Billy’s face in his hands and is kissing him for real, a smile still toying at the corners of his lips.

Smiling super-boyfriend kisses, Billy decides, are maybe even a little but better than regular super-boyfriend kisses.

 

Billy’s lying on his bed, his head pillowed on Teddy’s stomach, Teddy’s warm, dry fingers carding through his hair. He’s just about convinced that this is the perfect moment, except he can hear his parents wandering around downstairs and that’s enough to take the edge off Billy’s pretty consistent desire to do unspeakable things to Teddy’s balls. 

“You’re the bravest person I’ve met, you know that?” Teddy says to the ceiling and Billy sits up. He’s expecting to see teasing in his boyfriend’s eyes, the soft glimmer of humor that means Teddy wasn’t being serious. He couldn’t be serious.

Billy doesn’t see that glimmer. Teddy’s staring up at him from the head of the bed, one arm tucked behind his neck.

“You’re serious?”

Teddy frowns. “Yeah.”

Billy flops down onto his front, his chin perched on Teddy’s breastbone.

“You’re delusional.” Billy informs him affectionately. “You are absolutely insane.”

Teddy’s brows are developing that adorable furrow that he says he never had before he started dating Billy.

“I’m serious.” Teddy repeated and reaches out to stroke Billy’s face with the tips of his fingers, slide his thumb over Billy’s top lip.

Billy studies his boyfriend, who meets his contemplative gaze unwaveringly.

He really is serious.

“Okay.” Billy says, turning his head to kiss Teddy’s palm. “Why am I so brave, Mr. Altman?”

Teddy does smile a bit then; but it doesn’t even begin to overshadow the earnest sincerity in his eyes. Red is starting to creep over his ears and across his cheeks.

“You’ve never been afraid of who you are, Billy. For as long as I’ve known you, you’ve owned your weird-ass powers and your…” His eyes flitter away. “…self.”

“Teddy.” Billy reaches over and grasps Teddy’s hand, laces their fingers together. He wants to lie to his boyfriend, wants to tell him that he’s got it figured out. It would be so easy. All he’d have to do is say ‘thank you’.

But he can’t watch Teddy swallow that load of shit.

So he sighs and says. “That’s sweet, Teddy, but...”

Teddy’s eyes flick back to his.

Billy bites his lip, worrying the soft flesh. It’s harder than he thought it would be: telling the truth. He wants to, knows he needs to, but the moment before he spits out the words is indelible and for half a second he almost backs down.

“Teddy, you know I’m not some LGBTQ posterboy. I’m not out on pride day, waving a flag. I’m not even out in my own home. The only reason I didn’t spend every year at school pretending I liked tits was because Kesler caught me checking out this kid’s ass back in eight grade and he made sure everyone knew.”

Teddy squeezes Billy’s fingers, silently supportive.

“I wanted...I would’ve given anything not to be the person I was. I wasn’t ashamed of myself. I just wanted him to go away.

“So, I guess I don’t have to worry about Kesler anymore, but now I have all these ‘weird-ass powers’.” He gives Teddy a significant look. “And I don’t think I’d be able to handle any of this if it weren’t for the other guys…if it weren’t for you.”

Teddy sits up far enough to reach Billy’s lips and softly soothes the worried flesh.

“I don’t think.” Billy murmurs against Teddy’s mouth. “…that either of us are who we were a month ago. I wouldn’t be me without you and…I guess you wouldn’t be you without me…”

“How profound.” Billy can feel Teddy’s smirk. He chooses to ignore it. 

“Fine,” Billy grouses. “So now we’ve finished confessing our deepest darkest secrets to one another like thirteen year-old girls, I’m ready to go back to normal.”

“Normal?” Teddy chuckles and quirks an eyebrow at him.

“You know what I mean.” Billy huffs and starts to sit up. Teddy catches him and pulls him back down onto his chest. 

“Normal for us.” Billy whispers against Teddy’s teeth.

“No such thing.” Teddy informs him between kisses, his hands slipping under Billy’s T-shirt.

Billy’s starting to get hard and he can’t quite remember why this is such a bad idea. Because he’s pretty sure having a hot, hard Teddy to rub up against is a very, very good idea.

Teddy’s thigh slips between Billy’s and Billy rolls his hips. His brain sparks at the sensation and he stifles a moan into Teddy’s neck.

“Okay…as close to normal as we ever get.” Billy tries again.

But Teddy just shakes his head and secures Billy’s against him with a hand on his scalp and another on his hip. He plants one foot on the bed for leverage, the one between Billy’s legs. Billy lets out a breathy exhalation when he feels the pressure against his balls.

“We’re never going to be anything close to ‘normal’ Kaplan. You’d better just accept that now so you can lay back and enjoy the ride.”

“Trust me.” Billy bears down on Teddy’s thigh and whines at the sparks that shoot up his spine. It’s really very embarrassing how quietly Teddy gets him hot. His only consolation is that he seems to have the same effect on Teddy who is currently breathing heavily and using Billy’s thigh for his own nefarious purposes.

“I’m enjoying the ride.”

Teddy groans out a laugh.

The bed’s squeaking with every push of their bodies. Billy’s starting to feel light-headed, the precursor to his impending orgasm.

He kisses along Teddy’s ear, knawing and sucking at the pierced lobe. It was fantastic to learn Teddy likes Billy sucking on his piercings just about as much as Billy likes sucking on them.

Teddy’s making short gasping noises and his eyes are half-closes. His face is red and dreamy and Billy’s always a bit proud that he was the one who put that expression on his face.

Teddy uses the hand in Billy’s hair to drag Billy away from his ear and to his mouth. They’re kiss is messy and desperate, the kind that says “I want you,” not just “I love you”.

Teddy’s hand slips down to dip just beneath the waistband of Billy’s jeans and Billy’s falling off the cliff of conscious thought, into climax.

He’s aware, a few moments later, that he’s got his forehead pressed into Teddy’s jaw and he’s panting heavily, still shaking with the dregs of a rather mind-blowing release.

Teddy’s hips aren’t moving anymore and when Billy manages to lift his head, Teddy’s got his head back, eyes closed, looking for all the world like a blissfully fucked-out teenager.

Go figure.

It’s so utterly mundane, for a moment Billy wants to take a picture, just to prove to himself that they can feel this just like everyone else.

But instead he puts his head back down and nestles in close and chooses not to think about the mess he and Teddy just made. He can always deal with it later.

“Are you sure we’re not even just mostly normal?” He jokes.

Teddy chuffs in amusement and pinches Billy.

They hear footsteps on the stairs and scramble to disengage from one another and separate just in time for his mother to peer in and tell them dinner’s ready and ask if “Theodore going to join them?”.

They head down to the kitchen once Billy’s done some strategic rearranging of reality and their pants and Teddy bumps his shoulder.

When Billy pauses at the foot of the stairs and looks back over his shoulder, Teddy leans down to knock their foreheads together, lightly, quickly; now that they’re no longer sequestered in the relative safely of Billy’s room.

“Especially not even mostly…” He whispers.

Billy laughs and decides then and there that he’s okay not even being mostly normal.

As long as Teddy’s right there, being mostly not normal with him.

**Author's Note:**

> Please let me know what you think; what I did well and how I can improve. I thrive off of your feedback lovely readers. <3  
> Also, if you've never heard of Young Avengers or Teddy/Billy, go check them out! They're fantastic, CANON! and deserve all of your support!  
> Until next time.
> 
> SoY


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